Drum scraping chain

ABSTRACT

A chain for scouring the inside surfaces of a drum. The chain has a plurality of running links, these being links which are secured to each other in seriation. Cross-links are attached to mutually spaced (not directly interconnected) running links to increase chain flexibility. All the links have the same configuration. Indentations are provided at each corner between adjacent sides of the link. All the links have hard surfaces, for example being case hardened or nitrided.

United States Patent [191 Sanders 1 DRUM SCRAPING CHAIN [75] Inventor: Murray A. Sanders, Woodside, N.Y.

[73] Assignee: Allen-Stevens Drums Accessories Corp., South Plainfield, NJ.

221 Filed: Aug.31, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 68,404

[52] US. Cl. ..59/78, 59/84, 59/91,

263/33 C [51] Int. Cl ..Fl6g 13/18 [58] Field of Search ..59/78, 80, 82, 90, 91, 35,

59/13, 84, l; 263/33 C; 159/9 A; 34/142 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 166,334 8/1875 Bonta ..59/90 1,910,873 5/1933 Zahn ..263/33 C 3,442,497 5/1969 Gantz ..263/33 C 2,349,935 5/1944 Bornemann 152/245 Feb. 13, 1973 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 610,365 3/1935 Germany ..263/33 C 525,825 5/1931 Germany... ...263/33 C 1,166,751 6/1958 France ..59/90 Primary ExaminerCharles W. Lanham Assistant ExaminerGene P. Crosby AttorneyKirschstein, Kirschstein, Ottinger and Frank [5 7 1 ABSTRACT A chain for scouring the inside surfaces of a drum. The chain has a plurality of running links, these being links which are secured to each other in seriation. Cross-links are attached to mutually spaced (not directly interconnected) running links to increase chain flexibility. All the links have the same configuration. Indentations are provided at each corner between adjacent sides of the link. All the links have hard surfaces, for example being case hardened or nitrided.

9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB 13 I975 3,715,884

INVENTOR MURRAYA-SANDERS BY man/w, MWL

dam-) MK ATTORNEYS DRUM SCRAPING CHAIN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention A chain for scouring the inside surfaces of a drum.

2. Description of the Prior Art Drums are often used for storing and transporting different chemical substances. Usually the drums are cylindrical in cross section and are closed at both ends by heads. A bung hole in one head provides communication with the interior of the drum. Often, deposits are formed on the inside surfaces of the drum from the different substances which are stored therein. The traditional prior art approach to removing these deposits is to place a chain inside the drum through the bung hole and rotate the drum so that the edges of the chain scrape off the deposits.

While there has been a variety of different chains specifically designed for this use, none have been found to be completely satisfactory in operation for a number of reasons. One such reason was that the inserted chains often balled or knotted after the drum was rotated and the chain was randomly tumbled. A balled or knotted chain reduced the number of effective scouring edges and points and was difficult, and sometimes impossible, to untangle so that it could be removed through the bung hole. Additionally, many of these prior art chains did not have links which had enough sharp edges and points to effectively clean the inside surfaces of the drum when the chain did not ball or knot.

A further drawback of many of these chains was their lack of flexibility. As a result, it was often difficult to introduce the chain into the drum through the bung hole and remove the chain from the drum through the bung hole. A further drawback of many of these chains was that they were relatively light in weight per unit length thereof and thus could not exert a large scraping force on the inside surfaces of the drum as the drum was rotated. As a result they did not efficiently remove deposits from the inside surfaces of the drum. Additionally, many of these chains were expensive to make, further detracting from their value.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved chain of the general character described.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a chain of the type herein described that will not readily ball or knot as it is tumbled in the interior of a rotating drum.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a chain of the type herein described which is sufficiently flexible so that it can easily be moved through a drum bung hole.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a chain of the type herein described that employs crosslinks to increase the weight and number of scouring edges and points per unit length but in so doing does not reduce the flexibility of the chain to a degree where it becomes difficult to insert or remove the chain through a bung hole or to a degree where the scouring effectiveness is reduced.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a chain of the type herein described that is relatively heavy and capable of rapidly cleaning the inside surfaces of a drum.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a chain of the type herein described wherein the links which comprise the chain each have a large number of sharp edges and points for cleaning the inside surfaces of a drum.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a chain of the type herein described which can be inexpensively made.

Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are achieved by a chain having a plurality of attached running links with cross links attached to mutually spaced, e.g., every other, running links. The cross links and running links are identical in configuration to each other. Each link is in the configuration of a hollow polygon the corners of which are notched to provide indentations that increase the number of scouring edges and points. The side surfaces of each link are perpendicular to the top and bottom broad surfaces of the link so that all top and bottom edges are square and hence present scouring edges. In a preferred form of the invention each link includes four sides. The first and second sides of each link are parallel and in mutual registry with each other and perpendicular to the third and fourth sides. In a similar fashion the third and fourth sides of each link are parallel and are in mutual registry with each other while being perpendicular to the first two sides.

Identical concave recesses join the ends of adjacent sides of each link with each concave recess being circular in cross-section and having its center at the intersection of lines passing through the adjacent sides. A central circular opening having a radius roughly equal to the radius of the concave recesses and through which the links are secured to each other is located on each link symmetrically with respect to the sides of the link. All the links are surface hardened, e.g., by case hardening or nitriding.

In use the chain is inserted through a drum bung hole and the drum is rotated. The chain tumbles inside the drum and drags along the internal surface thereof so that the edges and points of the links clean (scour) the inside surfaces of the drum. Due to the large number of scouring edges and points on the running and cross links the deposits on the inside surfaces of the drum are quickly removed. By attaching the cross link to mutually spaced running links, knotting or balling is inhibited and the flexibility of the chain is not noticeably reduced. Additionally, since all the links are made from a heavy metal such as steel, and since there are many cross-links the chain has sufficient weight to do a proper cleaning job.

In another aspect of the present invention, indentations having stepped portions extend between the ends of adjacent sides of each link to further increase the number of sharp edges and points that are available for cleaning the inside surfaces of a drum.

In a further aspect of the present invention, concave indentations having two sides which are perpendicular to each other and extend between the ends of adjacent sides of each link.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction and combination of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the device hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chain according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a link that is used in the chain of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating how individual links in the chain of the present invention may be formed;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a link utilized in another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the link shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a link utilized in a still further embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a side view of the link shown in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1 of the drawings a chain 10 according to the present invention is illustrated. Chain 10 includes a series of identical running links 12 which are attached, i.e., linked, to each other and a series of cross-links 14. Cross-links 14 are attached to every other running link as will hereinafter be described and the cross-links and running links are identical to each other in configuration. Since the different links of chain 10 are identical to each other in configuration, a description of one link will suffice for an understanding of the present invention.

Cross-link 14 is flat on its opposed flat (top and bottom) parallel broad surfaces and includes sides 16, 18, 20 and 22 (FIG. 2). Sides l6 and 20 are parallel and in registry with each other as well as being perpendicular to sides 18 and 22. In a like manner sides 18 and 22 are parallel and in registry with each other while being perpendicular to sides 16 and 20. All the sides of the link have sharp square edges 21 where they perpendicularly meet the broad surfaces to facilitate scraping deposits from the inside surfaces of a drum.

Identical concave arcuate recesses are provided at each corner of the link, extending between the ends of adjacent sides of the link and reference herein is made to one such recess. Concave recess 24 is quarter-circular in plan with the radius thereof being at the intersection of the imaginary extensions of sides 16 and 18 which are shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. Scraping parts are formed at the intersections of the recesses with the sides of the links at the top and bottom broad surfaces. A central circular opening 26 is located at the center of the link and has a radius roughly equal to the radius of the concave recesses. Excellent results with respect to chain flexibility and obtainment of a good scraping weight have been found to be secured with such a circular opening, with a recess depth which is such that the breadth of a link at the center of the recess is approximately equal to the breadth of the link at the center ofa straight side, and with a ratio of about 3:1 between the diameter of said circular opening and 10 teenths to one-fourth inch in thickness.

At least mutually spaced, and preferably every other,

running link in the chain, these being thelinks which have a cross-link attached thereto, has a split side for a reason soon to be apparent. As can be seen in FIG. 1, running link A has a side that is split dividing the side into locking segments 28a and 28b. When the links are being attached to each other, segments 28a and 281: are spread so that the free ends of the segments diverge from each other. Three identical links are then looped over the free ends of either of the segments. The ends of the segments are then bent in juxtaposition, preferably alignment, with each other securing the links which have been looped therewith. The middle one of the three links which has been secured to link A is a cross-link, while the other two links are running links which are secured to other running links in an analogous fashion. This step is repeated until a chain of the desired length is obtained.

It will be understood that the links must be small enough to enable the chain to be threaded through a given size bung hole. Any polygonal configuration can be used, e.g., triangular, square, oblong, rhomboidal, pentagonal, sexagonal, stellate, etc.

In normal use the chain may be inserted through a drum bung hole and when the drum is rotated, will scour the inside surfaces thereof. The particular construction of the different links which comprise the chain prevents knotting or balling and gives the chain great flexibility. The large number of edges and points at the intersections of the sides and concave recesses of each link with the broad surfaces of the link facilitates scouring the inside surfaces of the drum. Additionally, since the links are all made from steel, the chain has sufficient weight to do a proper cleaning job.

A method of forming the links which comprise the chain shown in FIG. 1 is illustrated in FIG. 4. In this FIG. a narrow band of steel from which the links are formed is shown. It is to be appreciated that in actual practice the web may be wider than the width of one link as shown in the drawings. By way of example, dies which are used to form the links from the steel band are constructed to-perform the progressive operations from right to left in FIG. 4. First the central opening and split is formed at stage I. Then the concave recesses are cut out at stage II. Finally, the endmost link is sheared off at stage III. By having the sides of each link blanked from the steel which forms the side of an adjacent link and by having the concave recesses of each link blanked in conjunction with the other recesses as shown in the drawings, the amount of wastage in forming the individual links is minimized.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 a modification to the link previously described is shown and like parts in all FIGS. have the same reference numerals. In the link of FIGS. 5 and 6 identical stepped portions 30 extend between the ends of adjacent sides with each stepped portion including a number of steps. Each step is parallel to the adjacent steps and perpendicular to one adjacent side while being parallel to the other adjacent side.

The link FIGS. 5 and 6, by having a plurality of steps extend between adjacent sides, increases the number of edges and points which can be used to scrape deposits from the inside surfaces of the drum.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 a further embodiment of the link of the present invention is shown and includes identical concave recess 32 having sides extending between adjacent sides of the links. Each recess includes two sides, 32a and 32b, which are perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the link side from which they extend.

The different links disclosed in FIGS. 5 and 6 and FIGS. 7 and 8 can be used as previously described in connection with the link of FIGS. 2 and 3 to effectively scrape the inside surfaces of a drum. Additionally, the links of FIGS. 5 and 6 and FIGS. 7 and 8 can be made in a manner analogous to that disclosed in FIG. 4 for making the links shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

It is to be noted that by having the links made from a surface hardened steel of about three-sixteenths to onefourth inch thick, the chain has a long service life and is able to get into crevices inside a drum as the drum is being rotated.

It will thus be seen that there are provided drum scraping chains which achieve the several objects of the invention and which are adapted to meet the conditions of direct use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

1. A chain for scraping the inside surfaces of a drum comprising a plurality of attached running links, cross links attached to mutually spaced running links, and said cross links and running links having the same configuration, each link having four sides, the first and second of the sides being parallel, in mutual registry, and perpendicular to the third and fourth sides, said third and fourth sides being parallel, in mutual registry, and perpendicular to the first and second sides, and identical concave recesses extending between the ends of adjacent sides.

2. A chain according to claim 1 wherein each concave recess is a segment of a circle with the radial center thereof being at the intersection of imaginary lines constituting extensions of adjacent sides between which said recess extends.

3. A chain according to claim 2 wherein each link includes a central opening having a radius roughly equal to that of the concave recesses, said links secured to each other through their central openings.

4. A chain according to claim 1 wherein each concave recess includes two ends, these ends being perpendicular to each other and to the link sides from which they extend.

5. A chain for scraping the inside surfaces of a drum and which can be inserted in the drum thr ough a drum opening comprising a plurality of running links attached to each other seriatim, cross links attached to mutually spaced running links, said cross links and running links having the same configuration, each link including four sides, the first and second of the sides being in mutual registry, parallel and perpendicular to the third and fourth sides, the third and fourth sides being parallel, in mutual registry and perpendicular to the first and second sides, and identical stepped portions extending between the ends of adjacent sides.

6. A chain according to claim 5 wherein each stepped portion includes a plurality of steps, each step being parallel to the adjacent step, to one of the adjacent sides, and parallel to the other of the adjacent sides.

7. A chain for scraping the inside surfaces of a drum comprising a plurality of attached running links, cross links attached to mutually spaced running links and said cross links and running links having the same configuration and each including a circular central opening wherein each link is of polygonal configuration with recessed corners.

8. A chain for scraping the inside surfaces of a drum comprising a plurality of attached running links, cross links attached to mutually spaced running links, said cross links and running links having the same configuration, each link including straight sides, a central circular opening and being of a polygonal configuration with recessed corners, the breadth of each link from said central opening to the center of each recess being approximately equal to the breadth of the link from said central opening to the center of a straight side.

9. A chain according to claim 8 wherein the ratio between the diameter of the opening and said breadths is about 3: 1. 

1. A chain for scraping the inside surfaces of a drum comprising a plurality of attached running links, cross links attached to mutually spaced running links, and said cross links and running links having the same configuration, each link having four sides, the first and second of the sides being parallel, in mutual registry, and perpendicular to the third and fourth sides, said third and fourth sides being parallel, in mutual registry, and perpendicular to the first and second sides, and identical concave recesses extending between the ends of adjacent sides.
 1. A chain for scraping the inside surfaces of a drum comprising a plurality of attached running links, cross links attached to mutually spaced running links, and said cross links and running links having the same configuration, each link having four sides, the first and second of the sides being parallel, in mutual registry, and perpendicular to the third and fourth sides, said third and fourth sides being parallel, in mutual registry, and perpendicular to the first and second sides, and identical concave recesses extending between the ends of adjacent sides.
 2. A chain according to claim 1 wherein each concave recess is a segment of a circle with the radial center thereof being at the intersection of imaginary lines constituting extensions of adjacent sides between which said recess extends.
 3. A chain according to claim 2 wherein each link includes a central opening having a radius roughly equal to that of the concave recesses, said links secured to each other through their central openings.
 4. A chain according to claim 1 wherein each concave recess includes two ends, these ends being perpendicular to each other and to the link sides from which they extend.
 5. A chain for scraping the inside surfaces of a drum and which can be inserted in the drum through a drum opening comprising a plurality of running links attached to each other seriatim, cross links attached to mutually spaced running links, said cross links and running links having the same configuration, each link including four sides, the first and second of the sides being in mutual registry, parallel and perpendicular to the third and fourth sides, the third and fourth sides being parallel, in mutual registry and perpendicular to the first and second sides, and identical stepped portions extending between the ends of adjacent sides.
 6. A chain according to claim 5 wherein each stepped portion includes a plurality of steps, each step being parallel to the adjacent step, to one of the adjacent sides, and parallel to the other of the adjacent sides.
 7. A chain for scraping the inside surfaces of a drum comprising a plurality of attached running links, cross links attached to mutually spaced running links and said cross links and running links having the same configuration and each including a circular central opening wherein each link is of polygonal configuration with recessed corners.
 8. A chain for scraping the inside surfaces of a drum comprising a plurality of attached running links, cross links attached to mutually spaced running links, said cross links and running links having the same configuration, each link including straight sides, a central circular opening and being of a polygonal configuration with recessed corners, the breadth of each link from said central opening to the center of each recess being approximately equal to the breadth of the link from said central opening to the center of a straight side. 